


an anthropological inevitability

by AccioInvisibilityCloak



Category: Bones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Season Six, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Background Hodgela, Brengela Friendship, Canon Bisexual Angela Montenegro, F/F, Femslash February, Femslash February 2018, Queer Themes, Questioning Brennan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-21 09:25:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13737924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AccioInvisibilityCloak/pseuds/AccioInvisibilityCloak
Summary: Angela's eyebrows shoot way up at that. "Wait, wait. Brennan, are you a lesbian?""I don't know. Suddenly, I just don't know. And I'm not used to not knowing things. It makes me very uncomfortable."A beautiful blonde reporter comes to the Jeffersonian to cover Dr. Brennan's latest case, and awakens feelings the anthropologist didn't know she had. Brennan turns to her best friend Angela for advice, as always.





	an anthropological inevitability

*******

     “Angela? I wondered if you had a minute?”

Brennan can’t meet her best friend’s eye, just stands there with her arms crossed protectively over her chest. Angela looks up at her and sighs.

“Sit down, sweetie. What’s up?” Angela says dutifully, patting the chair next to hers. Work can wait.

Brennan clears her throat. “Ange, do you remember a few years ago, when you engaged in a lesbian relationship with Roxie?”

Angela’s eyes widen and she laughs, shocked. “Yeah, what of it? I wasn’t ‘engaging in lesbianism’, I was just dating a woman I loved. You know I’m queer no matter who I’m with, right?”

“I’m sorry,” Brennan says, cowed. “I said something offensive. I’m not here to interrogate _your_ sexuality.”

Angela’s eyebrows shoot way up at that. “Wait, wait. What are you trying to say, here? Brennan, are _you_ a lesbian?”

The anthropologist sighs, her head in her hands. “I don’t know. Suddenly, I just don’t know. And I’m not used to not knowing things. It makes me very uncomfortable.”

“Oh, this is about that hot reporter, isn’t it?” Angela grins. “I knew there was a spark there. Way to aim high, Brennan!”

“It’s true, Hannah has exquisite facial morphology. Her body is perfectly proportioned, and incredibly sexy, and more importantly, we have a profound intellectual connection that’s quite stimulating…” Brennan muses.

“And you want to jump her bones!” Angela finishes, delighted. “That’s great, Bren! I am gonna teach you everything I know. You should come with me to Queer Ladies’ Night at my favorite gay bar sometime.”

“Angela.”

The artist stops, turning to really look at her best friend. Brennan looks paler than usual, nervously fiddling with her hands in her lap, clearly struggling to even out her breathing.

“Oh, God, sweetie, are you okay?”

“I’m scared,” Brennan admits, allowing Angela to put an arm around her. She leans gratefully into the touch. “Rationally, I know that homosexuality is an evolutionary advantage, narrowing the choice of mate for breeding pairs, and that same-sex behavior is an anthropological inevitability, recorded in virtually every known animal species. It’s perfectly natural.”

“Okay, first of all, be careful who you say that to,” Angela says gently. “Other gay people aren’t going to like being talked about like they’re a science experiment, there’s a homophobic history to that.”

“That’s what I’m scared of, Ange,” Brennan whispers. “I’ve been different all my life. I’m not good at reading social cues, I make people uncomfortable. I don’t want another reason for people to reflexively dislike me. And with my work... I don’t want to feel like I’m putting Hannah in danger just by seeing her in public.”

“Oh honey, I know. But the world is catching up to us,” Angela says. “It’s so much better than it was. And trust me, love between women is such a beautiful thing. It's hard sometimes, but if you really care about each other, the hard parts do get easier to cope with. I know. That’s how I felt when I was with Roxie- like we could take on the world. I feel that with Hodgins, too. Some people are assholes about a bi woman marrying a man, but I can bring Hodgins out with any of my real friends, and they won’t judge us. He makes me feel safe. When I was with Roxie, she made me feel the same way. You’ll feel that too if you just take the chance to let yourself.”

“So... you think…” Brennan takes a deep breath. “Hannah and I?”

“Why not? All you have to do is try, sweetie,” Angela says. “You don’t need to have yourself all figured out right away, and you definitely don’t need to cater to assholes who hate who you are. You just need to go find Hannah and talk to her, okay?”

“I will,” Brennan says, steeling herself and heading for the door. “I’ll try.”

“I want to hear all about it afterwards, Brennan!” Angela calls teasingly after her. “That Hannah Burley, I mean, _yum_.”

*******

       That night at the Founding Fathers bar, Brennan is nursing a beer and waiting impatiently. She checks her watch for the umpteenth time, wondering where- _ah._

Hannah Burley walks through the door then, smiling about something. Her blood-red cocktail dress hugs every curve of her body, her blonde hair spilling in golden waves around her shoulders. Hannah’s mouth is as red as her dress, and Brennan bites her own lip in appreciation and desire.

“Hey there,” Hannah says, sidling up next to Brennan at the bar, so close she can smell the other woman’s intoxicating perfume. Brennan breathes in, and suddenly, she’s calm.

“Hello, Ms. Burley.”

“You got a story for me, Doc? An I.D. on those remains, status of the Senator’s DNA samples?” Hannah raises her hand to call the bartender, her fingers brushing Brennan’s shoulder as she does so.

“It’s not about the case,” Brennan admits.

“Oh?”

Brennan reaches up to catch her hand, entwining their fingers, and stares right into Hannah’s laughing eyes.

“Actually, Hannah, I wondered… whether you might be interested in having sex with me. Tonight.”

Hannah grins wider, leaning in close, her other hand on Brennan’s hip, pulling her body flush against Hannah’s own.

“Why, Temperance, I thought you’d never ask.”

*******

**Author's Note:**

> I've been doing a rewatch of season 2, and weirdly, this scene is what popped up in my head, even though Hannah doesn't show up until season 6. I hated Hannah/Booth, but I love Hannah/Brennan. What's femslash shipping for, if not exploring the rarepairs? :D (Also, Brennan's definitely greyromantic/demiromantic, here and in my personal view of canon.)


End file.
